A new leptin-mediated mechanism for stimulating fatty acid oxidation: a pivotal role for sarcolemmal FAT/CD36

Iman Momken, Adrian Chabowski, Ellen Dirkx, Miranda Nabben, Swati S. Jain, Jay T. McFarlan, Jan F. C. Glatz, Joost J. F. P. Luiken, Arend Bonen*

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticleAcademicpeer-review

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Abstract

Leptin stimulates fatty acid oxidation in muscle and heart; but, the mechanism by which these tissues provide additional intracellular fatty acids for their oxidation remains unknown. We examined, in isolated muscle and cardiac myocytes, whether leptin, via AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) activation, stimulated fatty acid translocase (FAT/CD36)- mediated fatty acid uptake to enhance fatty acid oxidation. In both mouse skeletal muscle and rat cardiomyocytes, leptin increased fatty acid oxidation, an effect that was blocked when AMPK phosphorylation was inhibited by adenine 9- beta-D-arabinofuranoside or Compound C. In wild-type mice, leptin induced the translocation of FAT/CD36 to the plasma membrane and increased fatty acid uptake into giant sarcolemmal vesicles and into cardiomyocytes. In muscles of FAT/CD36-KO mice, and in cardiomyocytes in which cell surface FAT/CD36 action was blocked by sulfo-N-succinimidyl oleate, the leptin-stimulated influx of fatty acids was inhibited; concomitantly, the normal leptin-stimulated increase in fatty acid oxidation was also prevented, despite the normal leptin-induced increase in AMPK phosphorylation. Conversely, in muscle of AMPK kinase-dead mice, leptin failed to induce the translocation of FAT/CD36, along with a failure to stimulate fatty acid uptake and oxidation. Similarly, when siRNA was used to reduce AMPK in HL-1 cardiomyocytes, leptin failed to induce the translocation of FAT/CD36. Our studies have revealed a novel mechanism of leptin-induced fatty acid oxidation in muscle tissue; namely, this process is dependent on the activation of AMPK to induce the translocation of FAT/CD36 to the plasma membrane, thereby stimulating fatty acid uptake. Without increasing this leptin-stimulated, FAT/CD36-dependent fatty acid uptake process, leptinstimulated AMPK phosphorylation does not enhance fatty acid oxidation.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)149-162
Number of pages14
JournalBiochemical Journal
Volume474
Issue number1
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 1 Jan 2017

Keywords

  • ACTIVATED PROTEIN-KINASE
  • RAT CARDIAC MYOCYTES
  • SKELETAL-MUSCLE
  • GLUCOSE-UPTAKE
  • CELLULAR REDISTRIBUTION
  • LIPID-ACCUMULATION
  • MEMBRANE-PROTEINS
  • PLASMA-MEMBRANE
  • OB/OB MICE
  • TRANSPORT

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